Hello, I have owned a Passat 1.9 TDI for 10 months and I am having problems starting the car with the fob that goes into the dash. I have talked to the dealer and they have said it can be as much as £1500 to repair. The car is out of warranty which expired when it exceeded 60,000 miles in July 2008. VW UK have confirmed that they will not contribute to the cost.

Is it worth asking for financial help to VW in Germany? Alternatively does anyone know if there is another way to fix the problem. The dealer is talking about replacing the steering column and some other part.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from anyone who can help.

Adrian